More than 30 community groups from across Sydney and Australia are expected to gather at Paul Keating Park on Sunday, April 6, to deliver a unified call for stronger government action on Palestine, including the imposition of sanctions on the Israeli government and a suspension of arms exports.

Speakers at the rally also raised concerns about the rise in Islamophobia across the country, particularly in the Canterbury-Bankstown region. Data released in March 2025 by the Islamophobia Register of Australia recorded 309 verified in-person incidents of Islamophobia between January 2023 and November 2024, a rate more than 2.5 times higher than any previous equivalent period.

The Islamophobia Register, a relatively new organisation, is dedicated to tracking and responding to hate crimes against Muslim communities in Australia. It collects and analyses data through partnerships with universities that track incidents of Islamophobia, aiming to inform national responses to the rise in these attacks.

Miro Sandev, a campaign organiser, stated that the rally aimed to “highlight the racism coming from the government, opposition, and institutions, targeting Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian people.”

“I’m not Muslim, but I organised the rally at Bankstown Police Station that followed the incident at Bankstown Kmart because Mariam (involved in the incident) was my friend, and the community needed a broader response to racism,” Miro said.

“The support for Israeli actions and the genocide of Palestinian people has resulted in the dehumanisation of Palestinian and Muslim people. We’re seeing this play out locally as well. For instance, Peter Dutton suggested that visas for Palestinians should be cancelled. This is the type of racism we are standing up against,” Miro explained.

Mariam Tohamy, one of the rally organisers and a previous victim of a hate crime at Kmart Bankstown, shared her hope to see an end to racism in Australia, particularly as dissociation with Muslim communities grows within the wider Australian public.

“We hope to see an end to the genocide and a stronger stance from the government in cutting trade with Israel. We no longer want to see our money funding the murder of children,” Mariam said.

“The previous hate crime incident has strengthened me. It’s shown me how the government deals with different communities, and it’s motivated me to stand up even more for my community, whether it’s anti-Palestinian or anti-Muslim. I want to see an end to all forms of racism,” she continued.

“The community has gathered here today to stand together and united. Racism, in all its forms, must be eradicated.”

Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and anti-racism spokesperson, emphasised the growing momentum behind the community’s calls for change: “Dutton’s Liberals deny Islamophobia, while Albanese and his government sit idly by. Communities are mobilising and organising. They are demanding their rights and will not sit quietly as more harm occurs. This election, we cannot continue voting for the same parties and expect different results.”

Dr. Jamal Riffi, a prominent community leader in Sydney’s south, shared his thoughts on the rise of Islamophobia, urging the community to remain united and cautious of those who seek to cause further division.

“We all feel the pain of what’s happening in Gaza, but emotion should not cloud our political judgment,” Jamal said. “Some online groups claim to speak for us, but they attack community members and organisations, using divisive and disrespectful language. We must be careful who we trust—not everyone claiming to represent us truly has our best interests at heart, and they might not even be Muslims.”

Reem Borrows, an author and Palestinian-Australian executive, echoed these sentiments. The pain of seeing her country and countless lives lost motivated her to focus on raising awareness of humanity, not hate.

“This is no longer just about politics; it’s about human dignity. The silence of some of our leaders in the face of this horror is both heartbreaking and unacceptable. As a community, we must stay united and not let pre-election tactics divide us. We need to support the leaders who are currently uniting us as Australians and advocating for real humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the surrounding areas,” Reem stated.

More than 200 people are expected to attend the rally in Bankstown later today.